A Three-Dimensional Investigation of Spatial Relationship between Building Composition and Surface Urban Heat Island

Abstract

Urban heat island (UHI) phenomena are on the increase and are responsible for excessive energy use, environmental harm, and detrimental effects on human health in many parts of the world. Case studies of individual cities imply that wise planning and policymaking might lessen the consequences of UHI by altering aspects of urban settings such as land use/cover (LULC). Determining the influence of LULC planning on UHIs has proven difficult due to the diversity of elements that can alter urban surroundings. This study evaluated building functions and the three-dimensional distribution of structures on land surface temperatures (LSTs) in Tsukuba, a science city in Japan, to estimate the influence of landscape composition on UHIs. We used multiple regression analysis to examine the relationship between LST and LULC, building height, building function, and other variables (e.g., distance to/from roads). Our results showed that management and control of the distribution of buildings, population density, and energy consumption could significantly reduce LSTs, realize sustainable development, and ensure a healthy environment in a planned city. Furthermore, a better theoretical understanding of what makes cities sustainable can enhance the ecological awareness of urbanites and help cities evolve in a sustainable way.